Hi,I am hoping to pick someone's brains on this one,I am currently keeping three Seramas one cockerel two hens,we have been asked to to take on five average size hens all female,now the thing is we need to extend our coop,but I don't really want two coops in my not so large garden,so do you think it could be possible to keep all seramas and other hens together bearing in mind how small Serama are? I am a bit scared to mix can reasure or advise me please.jacquih

Personally I don't think it matters mixing sizes, it is down to them all getting on. This is usually done by having them in separate pens but next to each other for a few weeks and then integrate gradually.

Yes it would, as you'll be mixing new birds into an established flock even with a new coop - it's the flock that matters, not the accomodation. Even if you kept them seperate in 2 runs and coops, you'd still need to integrate them eventually as Granny says which can be quite fraught. If your cockeral is a macho boy he may be able to maintain order quickly and keep issues to a minimum but if he is a small boy then new big girls may decide to ignore him. It really depends more on their personalities than their sizes.

General advice is usually to keep them seperate but in sight of each other for as long as you can, to give them a chance to see each other. Start gradually mixing them at dusk to keep fighting to a minimum (as they'll be getting ready to go to bed). The quicker you can get them sleeping together the better. And be on hand during mixing to break up fights, a water pistol is good, and see how your cockeral is doing as he could be the key.

During integrations, have loads of food and water containers so everyone can get tot hem (they will fight over food and water) and lots of distractions to keep everyone busy - hanging cabbages, fruit etc etc

Good luck whatever you decide to do - introducing new birds is amongst the most stressful times for a chicken keeper! But it will work out eventually, even if it takes a while. You will have to keep a careful eye out though to see whether there are any issues with size mismatch

My smallest is a pekin & she walks round with a big brahma, best of friends! But seramas are really tiny arent they, they may be all right once things settle down but you may want to protect them a bit more than usual while the argy bargy is going on. Perches & platforms in the run would be a good idea as seramas could get up there to escape more easily than the big hens. Hopefully your cockerel with intervene with any fighting. Alot of people put new hens straight into the communal coop in the first night, I prefer to keep them separate until the worst of the fighting is over - mainly for my own peace of mind! It all depends on the characters of the hens & how they behave, you might be lucky & things may settle without much fuss. But I would want a back up plan, something as a temporary coop - perhaps a pet travel box on a table in the run - incase your tiny girls need a break. Of course it could be the other way round & your little ones behave like ninjas!

"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." --Immanuel Kant

I have five seramas and two bantams, a game bird and an ancona. I think you have the advantage of your seramas being on home ground and as you say they are feisty and they are also speedy.

I introduced the first two seramas to the bigger girls with ease. The bigger girls didn't see them as a threat. I then added another three seramas and the bigger girls were no problem but top serama turned into a nightmare. She was determined to prove she was above the new girls and it took three weeks before they were fully integrated, which is my longest integration yet.

They are now great together but I was amazed at the level of aggression from a serama. As others say plenty of food and water stations and places to escape to. They are good at getting out of the way. Mine used to go to the top of our ladders.

Hi nothing to add but my fflock range from 8 inch mini chicken to a huge cockerel light Sussex Orpington and of course the naked neck ,silkie and a bantam all get on with the occasional handbags and show downs .All the part of chicken keeping . Bob